Umbrella tent frame



May 4, 1965 M. A. BAREIS UMBRELLA TENT FRAME Filed June 24, 1,963

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 4, 1965 M. A. BAREIS UMBRELLA TENT FRAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 24, 1963 g 3 @g WM: WW .uw ./%v 6.1 L 0 L1; lluwfhhwwwwulry M hm a a 5 a 2 a Q as W y 1965 M. A. BAREIS 3,181,542

UMBRELLA TENT FRAME Filed June 24, 1965 FIG 7 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR, WZa/um LZBarezs United States Patent 3,181,542 RELLA TENT FRAME Marvin A. Easels, New Haven, Mm, assignor to Hawthorn Company Division of Kellwood Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 24, 1963, Ser. No. 29tl,tll6 9 Claims. (Cl. 135- 1) My invention relates to umbrella tents, and has to do more particularly with an improved frame for an umbrella tent having a number of important advantages over those heretofore known.

A particular object of my invention is to provide an umbrella tent frame which may be collapsed and folded into a compact unit of relatively small bulk which is most convenient for packing, storing and transportation; also, being a single unit rather than a multiplicity of separate parts, the frame may quickly and conveniently be erected or collapsed for transport in a minimum of time and with a minimum of efiort.

Furthermore, as an incident to my invention, the tent fabric may remain attached to the frame when the latter is collapsed for storage or transport, thus obviating the effort and inconvenience of separately packing and otherwise handling the fabric apart from the frame.

My invention contemplates a frame characterized by a novel type of joint which is utilized both in the peak and at the eaves, such joints permitting limited articulation somewhat similar to a knee or elbow joint, while preventing separation or disconnection of the member or members connected to the joint. Such joints not only facilitate folding of the frame but also at the eaves, permit telescopic collapse of the ridge poles and struts.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Referring now to the drawings forming a part of this specification and illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of tent frame embodying my invention, with tent fabric supported thereby;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the frame in fully collapsed condition;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of the peak portion of the frame in erected condition;

FIG. 4 is a similar view of the same portion of the frame in collapsed condition;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of an eave joint connecting one of the struts with its mating ridge pole, the poles being in co-axial position partially collapsed;

FIG. 6 is a similar view of the same parts in operative or erected position;

FIG. 7 is a plan section taken substantially along the line 7-7 of FIG. 4, out with one pole rotated outwardly;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line S8 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary elevational View from a position along line 9 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is a plan section taken substantially along the line 1il1tl of FIG. 9, and

FIG. 11 is a plan section taken substantially along the line 111i of FIG. 9.

As seen in FIG. 1, my invention contemplates a new and improved frame exemplified by the embodiment indicated by the numeral 19 for the support or suspension of an umbrella tent T, which may be essentially of a standard type such as has long been known in the tentage art, although not restricted to such type.

The frame it), in accordance with my invention, comprises, in general, a peak member 12 to which are connected a plurality of top frame members of ridge poles 15, in this case four in number, and extending over the roof portion of the tent to the corners thereof, the tent in this case being quadrilateral. t will be understood, of course, that my invention is not restricted to a tent of this shape, as an umbrella tent applicable to my invention could be circular or have any desired number of sides.

Pivotally connected to each of the ridge poles 15 through joints 18 is a ground-engaging strut or leg member 23, said struts in this instance being disposed at the four corners of the tent.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, peak member 12 may be of enerally conical formation with a plurality of recesses 25 and communicating bores 26, said recesses and bores corresponding in number to the number of struts and ridge poles; the axes of the bores extend outwardly and downwardly at an acute angle to the horizontal and are radial with respect to peak member 12.

Pivotally secured to the peak member by pintles 359 is a plurality of socket members 28. Said socket members are so proportioned and arranged relative to the peak member that they may be moved from a position parallel to the axis of peak member 12, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, convenient for storage and for shipment, to positions witmn their adjacent cavities 25 where the socket members are coaxial with the respective bores 26, as seen in FIG. 3. It will be noted that rotation of a socket member 28 into its cavity 25 is limited to this position by wall 25a. Seated within each socket member 28 is a spring-pressed detent 33 arranged normal to the axis of its socket member.

A screw eye or book 315 is threadedly secured to the underside of peak member 12, extending downwardly therefrom to be attachable to a loop L of rope or fabric at the peak of tent T and serving as a peak support for the latter.

Slideably seated within each socket member 23 is one of the ridge poles 15. Each of said poles 15 is preferably tubular, having a plug 38 seated in the upper end thereof, said plug having a pair of spaced circumferential flanges so, 4%, the former being disposed at or near the free extremity of the plug and the latter being seated against the end of pole 15, with a sloping annular cam surface 42 therebetween.

It will be seen that, by reason of the construction just described, when the frame is folded or collapsed, as in FIGS. 2 and 4, detent 33 will seat against the shoulder provided by flange 46 so as to retain ridge pole 15 from displacement from socket member 28. When .it is desired to erect the frame, sloping face 42 will permit camming of the detent against its spring bias whereby, after the socket member 28 and ridge pole 15 have been swung angularly about pintle 38, sliding movement of the ridge pol-e will cause the sloping face 42 of plug 38 to slide past detent 33, allowing the plug to seat in bore 26, to assume the position seen in FIG. 3.

Joint members 18 may be considered as in the nature of knee or elbow joints, permitting angular movement of strut member 23a relative to top frame member 15 but restricting such articulation between lower and upper limits, as will be hereinafter described. Said members 18 comprise a part 18a attached to the lower end of a ridge pole 15, as by means of a set screw 43, and a part ildb which slideably seats the upper extremity of strut 23, the part 18b being pivotally attached to part 18a by means of a pintle 44 extending between parallel ears 2t), 20 for-med on pant 118a. Strut 23 preferably comprises a pair of telescopically connected tubular members 23a and 23b.

It will be noted that part 18a is provided with a recess between cars 20, 20 and face 1? (FIG. 6), said recess being so iormed and proportioned as to permit articulation of strut member 23a about pivot 4-4, as best seen in FIG. 6; however, wall 19 thereof limits rotation of the strut and part 18b to a position in elongation of pole 15, while rotation in the opposite direction is stopped by face 21 of part 18a. Strut 23a has a plug 45 fixed in the upper end thereof which, like plug 38 (FIG. 6) is provided with spaced annular flanges 47, 47' with a sloping annular cam surface 59 therebetiween. This sloping surface functions in a manner similar to surface 42 on plug 38; i.e., a spring-biased detent 52 serves as a stop, reacting against the shoulder of flange 47 to prevent complete withdrawal of the strut from part 18b, as seen in FIG. 6.

Shoulder 47' abuts against the extremity of tubular member 23a, so that cam surface 50 is continuous with the outer face of pole 23a, similarly to the structure seen in FIG. 3.

The struts, as is common practice in this art, preferably comprise a plurality of telescopic tubular members, in this case two, 23a and 23b, with any suitable or stand ard arrangement (not shown) for securing the two parts in any desired fixed position of longitudinaladjustment relative to each other, such as a bayonet lock, screw threads, etc. -The lower extremities of strut members 23b may if desired be provided with suitable feet 55, which may, if desired, be in the form of spikes capable of readily penetrating the ground.

Between ear-s 20 extends a pin 69 for attachment of a fabric loop L of canvas or rope secured to' the corner or eave portion of the tent, as seen in FIG. 1.

Various changes coming within the spirit of my invention may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art; hence, I do not Wish to be limited to the specific embodiments shown and described or uses mentioned, but intend the same to be merely exemplary, the scope of my invention being limited only by the appended claims I claim:

1. An articulated umbrella tent frame with parts movable from a collapsed position to an erect position, comprising (a) .a peak member having (1:) a plurality of radial sockets and also having a recess outwardly disposed and aligned with each of said sockets,

(d) sleeve members pivotally secured to said peak rnemlber adjacent to and movable into and out of said recesses and aligned with said sockets,

(e) said sleeve members having an internal cross-sec ltion substantially the same as said sockets,

(7'') said sleeve and peak members having means for limiting pivotal movement of the former relative to the latter in opposite extremes to the approximate limits of 180 in one direction and not less than 90 in the other, between the axis of each sleeve relative to that of its adjacent socket,

(g) an elongated frame member having an end portion V slid-ably disposed in each sleeve member and nor-' mally positioned, when the frame is collapsed, out of said socket, and

(h) cooperating means on said end portion and sleeve, respectively, for retaining said end portion against displacement out of the sleeve in its normal position While permitting sliding movement of the end portion out of the sleeve and into the adjacent socket for erection of the frame.

2. In a collapsible frame,

(a) a joint comprising a relatively fixed member and a relatively movable member secured together on a fixed pivot, both member-s including alignaible bores,

( b) said fixed member having a recess capable of receiving said movable member with said bores coaxially aligned,

(c) an elongated structural element carried by said rnovable'member,

(d) cooperating means on the movable member and structural element retaining the latter against separation from the former, while permitting sliding movement of the latter into the bore of said fixed member when said bores are aligned.

3. In a combination as in claim 2, cooperating means on said members for restricting relative pivotal movement thereof to in one direction and not less than be slid into telescopic relation to said ridge pole,

(e) said cooperating locking means comprising a spring loa'ded detent on said second part and a pair of spaced shoulders adjacent the end of said strut,

'(f) the outermost shoulder reacting against said deten't to prevent withdrawal of the strut from the second part, while *(g) the innermost shoulder has a sloping face capable of camming said detent out of locking position to lpermit telescoping or the strut and ridge pole, and

*(h) means on said hinge parts for limiting their pivotal movements in opposite directions.

5. A combination as in claim 4, wherein (a) said hinge parts each have a bore,

(b) said ridge pole and strutbeing tubular poles seate in said respective bores, V

(c) said first part having a pair of abutments serving as stops to limit rotary movementof the second part in opposite directions.

6. A combination as in claim 5, wherein,

(a) said first hinge part has a pair of integral ears projecting outwardly from the bore of said part,

(b) said second part being pivotally secured to said ears to rotate therebetween,

7. An articulated, collapsible umbrella tent frame comprising (a) a peak member having a plurality of radial sockets of cylindrical cross-section,

(b) a plurality of hollow cylindrical ridge poles, and

(c) a plurality of ground engaging struts,

(d) means'having a fixed pivoting point for attaching said ridge poles to said peak member adjacent to said sockets and supporting said ridge poles for a small extent of sliding movement to allow the end portions of said cylindrical ridge poles to he slid into said cylindrical sockets,

(e) and joint members secured to the opposite end portions of said ridge poles and pivotally carrying said 7 struts, V

(f) said joint members and struts having cooperating means for retaining the struts against displacement from'the joint members while permitting sliding movement of each strut from operative extended position to nesting position within the adjacent ridge pole.

8. An umbrella tent frame as set forth in claim 7 wherein the means connecting the ridge poles to the peak memher and joint members are so constructed and arranged as to permit articulation of the ridge poles with the struts nested therein in one direction to'positions wherein the plurality of ridge poles with nested struts are parallel and extend in the same direction from said peak member suitable for storage in a minimum of space, while restricting articulation in the opposite direction to tent-supporting position.

i 9. In a collapsible frame of the character described,

(a) a hollow ridge pole and a strut formed of tubing,

said strut being telescopically receivable in said ridge pole in the collapsed position of said frame,

([2) a hinge comprising a first part and a second part pivoted together, said first part being fixed to an extremity of said ridge pole,

(c) said second part slidably carrying said strut,

(d) cooperating means on said second part and strut, respectively, for locking the latter against withdrawal from the former, while permitting the strut to he slid into telescopic relation to said ridge pole, and

(e) means on said hinge parts for limiting their pivotal movements in opposite directions in the extended and operable position of said frame.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Lawhead 28758 Iversen 28758 Brockie 135-3 Gzlek 28799 Power 1353 Greenup 135-4 Berseth 135-3 Australia.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ARTICULATED UMBRELLA TENT FRAME WITH PARTS MOVABLE FROM A COLLAPSED POSITION TO AN ERECT POSITION, COMPRISING (A) A PEAK MEMBER HAVING (B) A PLURALITY OF RADIAL SOCKETS AND ALSO HAVING (C) A RECESS OUTWARDLY DISPOSED AND ALIGNED WITH EACH OF SAID SOCKETS, (D) SLEEVE MEMBERS PIVOTALLY SECURED TO SAID PEAK MEMBER ADJACENT TO AND MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF SAID RECESSES AND ALIGNED WITH SAID SOCKETS, (E) SAID SLEEVE MEMBERS HAVING AN INTERNAL CROSS-SECTION SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS SAID SOCKETS, (F) SAID SLEEVE AND PEAK MEMBERS HAVING MEANS FOR LIMITING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE FORMER RELATIVE TO THE LATTER IN OPPOSITE EXTREMES TO THE APPROXIMATE LIMITS OF 180* IN ONE DIRECTION AND NOT LESS THAN 90* IN THE OTHER, BETWEEN THE AXIS OF EACH SLEEVE RELATIVE TO THAT OF ITS ADJACENT SOCKET, (G) AN ELONGATED FRAME MEMBER HAVING AN END PORTION SLIDABLY DISPOSED IN EACH SLEEVE MEMBER AND NORMALLY POSITIONED, WHEN THE FRAME IS COLLAPSED, OUT OF SAID SOCKET, AND (H) COOPERATING MEANS ON SAID END PORTION AND SLEEVE, RESPECTIVELY, FOR RETAINING SAID END PORTION AGAINST DISPLACEMENT OUT OF THE SLEEVE IN ITS NORMAL POSITION WHILE PERMITTING SLIDING MOVEMENT OF THE END PORTION OUT OF THE SLEEVE AND INTO THE ADJACENT SOCKET FOR ERECTION OF THE FRAME. 